Department for Transport

Highway Code

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of introducing within the Highway Code a universal duty to give way when turning at junctions.

Andrew Jones: We have not yet made any assessment of the merits of this change but are consulting with relevant colleagues and stakeholders, particularly those involved with pedestrian safety and disability groups, about the impacts of such a change. We would need to be convinced that safety and accessibility would be maintained or enhanced if a universal duty to give way when turning at junctions were introduced.

Parking: Private Sector

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the public purse contributes to the cost of private parking firms receiving drivers' details from the DVLA; and if he will make it his policy that such firms pay the full cost to receive such details.

Andrew Jones: The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper information to those who can demonstrate a reasonable cause to receive it. The DVLA’s charges for releasing data are intended to recover the full cost (including overheads) of providing the information so that the DVLA neither profits at the expense of customers nor makes a loss for taxpayers to subsidise. Over time, the costs of individual DVLA services can slightly increase or decrease, depending in part on the volume of requests, leading to a small surplus or deficit in the short term. However, the DVLA keeps fees and charges under review so that the public purse does not, over time, contribute to the cost of private parking firms receiving vehicle keepers’ details from the DVLA.

South West Railway Line: Railway Stations

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential improvements to stations serving Richmond Park constituency as a result of First MTR South Western Trains Limited taking over the franchise for South Western.

Paul Maynard: First MTR South Western Trains Limited expect to invest in improvements to passenger facilities at stations across the South Western franchise network. The operator will develop its detailed plans for where these improvements will be delivered as it takes over the franchise.

Aviation: Fuels

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy on decarbonising UK aviation of the International Council on Clean Transportation report, entitled Mitigating international aviation emissions: Risks and opportunities for alternative jet fuels, published on 22 March 2017.

Mr John Hayes: The Government recognises the need for action at a global level to address CO2 emissions from aviation. To this end, the UK plays a key role in the work of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation, including as an active participant in the development of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. We welcome the publication of the report and we are considering it carefully in relation to this work. We are also taking action at a national level to encourage the development and supply of lower carbon jet fuels. We have consulted on proposed amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order to include support for the use of sustainable alternative fuels in aviation. We will publish the outcome of the consultation in due course. We have made £20 million available through the National Productivity Investment Fund to leverage private sector investment to help develop and commercialise alternative fuels. This can reduce the carbon impact of aviation and heavy goods vehicles, and capitalise on the industrial opportunities for growth and jobs.

South West Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what improvements are planned to rolling stock on routes serving Richmond Park constituency after First MTR South Western Trains Limited begin operating the South Western rail franchise in August 2017.

Paul Maynard: By December 2020 First MTR South Western Trains Limited expect to introduce 750 new carriages for use on routes to Reading, Windsor & Eton Riverside, Shepperton, Woking, and Guildford. These modern trains will provide an improved journey experience with fast reliable Wi-Fi, enhanced Passenger Information Systems, air conditioning, power sockets, and toilets.

South West Railway Line: WiFi

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether First MTR South Western Trains Limited will provide WiFi on (a) stations and (b) rolling stock when it begins operating the South Western rail franchise in August 2017.

Paul Maynard: First MTR South Western Trains Limited expect to offer free Wi-Fi at all of the mainland stations they will manage by March 2020. Free Wi-Fi is expected to be available on all of the South Western mainland fleet by the end of 2018.

South West Railway Line

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the increase in suburban services on a Sunday serving (a) Kingston, (b) Richmond and (c) New Malden as a result of First MTR South Western Trains Limited being awarded the South Western rail franchise.

Paul Maynard: From December 2018 First MTR South Western Trains Limited expect to run an enhanced service on Sundays, with a frequency equivalent to a weekday off-peak service after 1pm on many routes, including to and from Kingston, Richmond, and New Malden.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Self-employed

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the recommendation of the publication of the Julie Dean Self-Employment Review, what steps he has taken to review the equal treatment and recognition for the self-employed in the last 12 months.

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the recommendation of the publication of the Julie Dean Self-Employment Review, what steps he has taken to calculate the effect new policies will have on the self-employed sector in the last 12 months.

Margot James: The independent Matthew Taylor review on employment practices in a modern economy is considering the impact of non-standard working arrangements on employment status and employment rights, and as part of his review he has considered a range of available papers, including Julie Deane’s Review. That review will be reporting in the summer.We have also announced we will be looking at parental benefits for the self-employed.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma: Crimes against Humanity

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of potential crimes against humanity, including mass sexual violence, in Myanmar.

Alok Sharma: ​We remain deeply concerned about human rights violations in Burma. I raised our concerns when I met the Burmese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, U Kyaw Tin, on 27 February at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. During his visit to Burma in January, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), also raised similar concerns with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as well as military-appointed government ministers. When the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns visited Burma last November, she specifically raised the issue of sexual violence with the Burmese Minister of Defence, where she pressed him to handle allegations of sexual violence against women in a thorough and transparent manner.The question of whether any crimes under international law have occurred in Burma is a matter for judicial decision, rather than for governments to determine. Our objective remains to end all violations of human rights in Burma, including conflict-related sexual violence.

Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what guidance has been given to country desk officers on incorporating an understanding of freedom of religion or belief in their work.

Alok Sharma: Advancing human rights - including the right to freedom of religion and belief (FoRB) - is embedded across the work of our diplomats. In order to enhance the capabilities of staff working to promote FoRB in their country context, the FCO issued a revised toolkit in October 2016. This coincided with our London Conference on FoRB and Countering Violent Extremism, which was attended by a number of country desk officers. The FCO also routinely provides training and seminars to increase religious literacy amongst staff.

Monarchy: Official Gifts

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Buckingham Palace on the gift of a gold chain from the alleged Crown Prince Davit of Georgia.

Sir Alan Duncan: In line with the normal process for accepting gifts, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Buckingham Palace discussed the offer. As this gift was officially supported by the Georgian Government, it was graciously accepted as being in the spirit of the good relations between two close allies.

China: Minority Groups

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the detention of Uyghur, Tibetan and Christian people in China related to the practice of organ harvesting.

Alok Sharma: ​We regularly receive reports and updates from non-government organisations (NGOs) covering a wide range of human rights issues in China. For example, I hosted a roundtable in October 2016 with a range of NGOs working in this area to hear their opinions and analysis firsthand. Among other human rights issues, we have on occasion received reports that individuals from certain religious and ethnic minority groups may have had their organs removed after they have passed away without their or their families consent. My officials continue to scrutinise any new evidence presented.We continue to raise the issue of restrictions on religious freedoms and discrimination against ethnic minorities in China, most recently in our statement to the UN Human Rights Council on 14 March 2017.

North Korea: Russia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received on North Korean defectors in Russia being sent back to North Korea.

Alok Sharma: ​We are aware of some media reports of North Korean defectors in the Russian Federation being sent back to North Korea.

Department for International Development

Syria: Politics and Government

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Answer of 18 December 2015 to Question 19719, on Syria, what progress her Department has made in delivering basic governance in Syria since 2015-16.

Rory Stewart: In Syria, we deliver basic governance by supporting local councils in moderate opposition areas to deliver basic services in response to needs identified by their communities. In 2016, UK support helped local councils provide over 2.3 million Syrians with improved infrastructure; including new roads, electricity grids and waste collection services.

Occupied Territories: Overseas Aid

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department has provided to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in each year since 2010-11.

Rory Stewart: The amounts of DFID official bilateral assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territories since financial year 2010/11 are set out below. The final figure for 2016/17 will be published in mid-2017. Financial YearTotal DFID bilateral assistance (£)2010/1173,572,0002011/1291,212,0002012/1387,735,0002013/1493,859,0002014/1583,404,0002015/1677,351,000

Department for Education

Pupils: Yorkshire and the Humber

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding was provided to each pupil in state (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in (A) York local authority and (B) Yorkshire and the Humber in (1) cash terms and (2) at 2014 prices in 2005-06 and in each year since.

Nick Gibb: The Department primarily allocates capital and revenue funding at local authority level. The allocations listed below are for financial years 2011-12 to 2016-17. These include: devolved formula capital, school condition allocations, and basic need allocations. The funding allocated to Yorkshire and Humber in financial year 2013-15 also includes targeted basic need funding. Capital allocations(All values £m)2011-122012-132013-152015-162016-17York7.78.612.49.89.8Yorkshire and Humber204181344179180   Funding distributed to academies and Multi Academy Trusts is not included, as they often allocate funding across LA boundaries.More detail on funding for new free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools; on schools and school blocks being rebuilt under the Priority Schools Building Programmes; and funding allocated through the Condition Improvement Fund can be accessed via the links below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-funding-for-open-free-schools. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/psbp-list-of-successful-applicantshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-school-building-programme-2-list-of-successful-schoolshttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fundThe data for capital funding allocated to local areas prior to 2011-12 is not readily available.The table in the attachment (Annex A) shows average per-pupil revenue funding figures from financial year 2005-06 (DSG baseline) to 2016-17. These figures are in cash terms.Since 2011-12 schools have received the Pupil Premium which targets funding to help pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds achieve their full potential. Total Pupil Premium allocations for York local authority and the Yorkshire & Humber region for each year are shown in the following table in cash terms: Pupil Premium Allocations (£ millions)2011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17York LA1.2842.5673.9455.2155.1395.120Yorkshire & Humber region65.644126.372198.494262.285262.888262.559The Government publishes GDP deflators that can be used to understand the impact of inflation over time. These are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gdp-deflators-at-market-prices-and-money-gdp-march-2017-spring-budget-2017.



Annex_A
(PDF Document, 137.45 KB)

Design and Technology: GCE A-level

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students eligible for free school meals have taken A-level design and technology in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students eligible for free school meals have taken A-level computer science in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not hold information on free school meal (FSM) eligibility for students at the end of A-Level. The number of students entered for design & technology and computing A levels at the end of A-Level study is published according to their FSM eligibility at school 3 years previously in the underlying data of the ‘A level attainment by pupil characteristics’ transparency data[1].[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-level-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics

Ministry of Justice

Prison Officers: Industrial Disputes

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will give prison officers the right to take industrial action in cases where authorities refuse to address a health and safety grievance.

Elizabeth Truss: In answer to the Right Honourable Gentleman, we do take any health and safety matters raised seriously and particularly so in the context of prison safety where I have been clear as to this being our priority. It is unlawful for prison officers to take industrial action and that includes the example provided in the question. Such action immediately places the safety of staff and prisoners at risk. I hope that the Right Honourable gentleman would agree that the right way to deal with any health and safety grievance raised by prison officers is through the continuation of local dialogue and then potentially further discussion at a regional and national level if an agreed way forward cannot be found. We are, for example, currently working constructively with the Prison Officers Association to address a number of health and safety actions which were discussed at a national level and jointly agreed in November 2016.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will list the judges who have allowed evidence of a rape complainant's previous sexual history without an application being made ahead of trial in each of the last five years.

Sir Oliver Heald: The information requested is not held centrally.

Administration Of Justice: Pregnancy

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential obstacles faced by pregnant women in accessing justice; and what steps she plans to take to remove such obstacles.

Sir Oliver Heald: The Government’s reforms to the scope of civil legal aid were designed to refocus funding on those who need it most and for the most serious cases in which legal advice and representation was justified. We have specifically protected legal aid (both for initial advice and representation), subject to the statutory means and merits tests, for civil legal services provided in relation to contravention of the Equality Act 2010. Publicly funded advice continues to be available for Employment Tribunal discrimination claims, and publicly funded advice and representation is available in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. This therefore includes funding for new and expectant mothers who may have experienced discrimination.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Voluntary Work: Young People

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost per young person is of the National Citizenship Service programme.

Mr Rob Wilson: The January 2017 NAO report stated that the National Citizen Service (NCS) cost £1,825 per place for the 2015 programme. This figure took account of both provider costs and NCS Trust costs. The recently published independent evaluation of the 2015 programme took a different approach and focused only on provider costs. For the summer 2015 NCS programme, this cost per place was £1,620. We recognise that, as the programme continues to expand, there is a need to focus on reducing the overall unit cost of NCS to drive better value for money. This will continue to be a key focus for the DCMS and the Trust as the programme grows.

Sports: Injuries

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what advice her Department provides to (a) national governing bodies and (b) medical services on concussion sustained in sporting activities.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what research her Department has undertaken into the occurrence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in professional athletes.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy have been reported by (a) sports national governing bodies and (b) national medical services in the last five years.

Tracey Crouch: The Government takes player safety seriously in all sports. I expect National Governing Bodies, as the designated authorities with responsibility to regulate their sport, to monitor and act upon player safety as their highest priority, and be able to demonstrate how they are complying with all the relevant health and safety regulations and practices. The department does not provide advice to medical services on concussion or on the comparative health risks resulting from taking part in major sports. Medical research into injuries sustained in certain sports is being carried out by staff at the English Institute of Sport, and work in this area is to be published in the near future. However, this will not focus specifically on chronic traumatic encephalopathy.National Governing Bodies with significant risk of this type of injury in their sport put appropriate plans in place, issue guidance across their membership such as recent RFU and FA publications, and set elite level protocols, as the designated authorities with responsibility to regulate their sport. In addition, the department is a member of the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s Forum on Concussion which aims to raise awareness and support professionals, students, parents and volunteers to be able to deal better with incidents of concussion.

Gaming Machines

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2016 to Question 57400, on what date she plans to publish the results of the call for evidence on the Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures.

Tracey Crouch: We will publish findings and any proposals in due course.

Databases

Amanda Milling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to map the provision of data centres in England and Wales.

Matt Hancock: There are several organisations, such as Colo-X, who make freely available, up-to-date maps of commercial colocation data centres in the UK. These maps can be found at: http://www.colo-x.com/data-centre-database-map/

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: ICT

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what records his Department keeps of when the universal credit IT system is not functioning.

Damian Hinds: The Department keeps records of all incidents where the UC IT system is not available for use, either by DWP staff or by customers where the services are delivered digitally. These records are held electronically in other systems specifically used to record and manage such incidents and provide information that allows the Department to track performance and continuously improve the quality of service it delivers.

Housing Benefit: Young People

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library details of the evidence required of claimants of the housing cost element of universal credit aged between the ages of 18 and 21 to whom paragraph 4A does not apply as detailed under paragraph 4B, parts a, b, c, d, e, f and g; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: DWP will gather information to determine eligibility for many of these exemptions, such as whether the claimant has responsibility for a child or is exempt from the shared accommodation rate, as part of the standard claims process. Where a claimant qualifies for such an exemption no further information will be required. For other exemptions, we will not expect a claimant who tells us that they are unable to live with their parents or that they have been subjected to domestic violence, for example, to provide documentary evidence. A reference from a third party – such as a local authority or a relevant charity – would be acceptable.

Jobcentres: Plaistow

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the closure of Plaistow Jobcentre Plus on increased journey times and travel costs for people currently using that job centre.

Damian Hinds: We have sought to minimise the impact on claimants travel as far as possible. The new sites at Canning Town and Stratford are 1.4 miles and 1.6 miles respectively from the existing site and Jobcentre Plus is able to reimburse travel costs for those claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance or the equivalent claimants in Universal Credit for any attendance above their fortnightly signing appointment. In addition, those claiming Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support are not generally required to attend their local jobcentre regularly. Throughout our planning we calculated distances and journey times to Canning Town and Stratford using a variety of methods to ensure accuracy, including online tools and timetables, information collected on local public transport routes, and input and scrutiny from local DWP staff and management. Rather than assess the travel time from customers’ homes to their current and proposed new jobcentre, we have focused instead on the distances between existing and proposed jobcentre locations to help customers better understand any differences in distance. This is to reflect the fact that people who travel to the jobcentre will use whichever type of transport suits their personal circumstances, they may not be starting their journey from their home, and not all those who use our services are claimants. In addition, throughout the development of these proposals, the department has been mindful of the impact on staff and customers as part of its duties under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. Statistical analysis of the potential impact of the proposals on people with the protected characteristics has informed high-level decision-making so far. As we obtain further local, site-specific information we will ensure any issues identified are also taken fully into consideration when the final decisions are made.

Universal Credit: Overpayments

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will write off overpayments of universal credit caused by official error.

Caroline Nokes: Legislation enables the recovery of all Universal Credit overpayments, including those caused by official error. There are no plans to change the Universal Credit policy on recovering official error overpayments, a policy which is designed to protect the public purse. The Secretary of State does of course have discretion not to seek recovery in exceptional cases.

MAXIMUS Health and Human Services

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what penalty payments the Government received from Maximus related to that company's employment and support allowance contract.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department considers this information to be commercially sensitive and release would prejudice the interests of the service provider (Centre for Health and Disability Assessments – a MAXIMUS company) and the Department’s future dealings with it. Contractual remedies are in place if the provider fails to deliver against the service standards and service credits would be applied when appropriate.

Work Capability Assessments

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many assessments Maximus completed within the first year of that company's employment and support allowance contract.

Penny Mordaunt: In Year 1 (1 March 2015 – 29 February 2016) of their contract, Centre for Health Disability Assessments (CHDA) delivered a total of 792,302 Work Capability Assessments and 111,720 other assessments. For Year 2, the number of assessments completed overall by CHDA increased to 945,343 and 108,943 respectively. CHDA is a MAXIMUS Company.

Work Capability Assessment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce the mandatory recording of capability assessments for employment and support allowance and personal independence payments.

Penny Mordaunt: There are no plans to introduce the mandatory recordings of assessments for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Whilst there is no legal need to record assessments, claimants can request in advance that their ESA assessment is recorded. This is explained to claimants in the letter inviting them to their face-to-face assessment. On 13 March a small-scale pilot started to test whether there are any benefits to audio recording PIP face-to-face assessments. Once the results of this pilot have been processed and evaluated, we will be able to make further decisions on whether DWP will consider recording PIP assessments in the future. However, assessment recording will always be entirely voluntary and subject to claimant consent.

Employment and Support Allowance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to announce the list of conditions that would exempt a person from an employment and support allowance reassessment.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to a previous question 64797http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&use-dates=True&answered-from=2015-05-07&answered-to=2017-03-22&dept=29&uin=64797+

State Retirement Pensions: Age

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of regional variations in life expectancy when reviewing the state pension age.

Richard Harrington: The Government will present its first Review of the State Pension age to Parliament in May 2017. It will consider the reports produced by the Government Actuary and the independent reviewer John Cridland CBE. The Review will be forward looking and will not recommend State Pension age changes to be made before 2028. Any proposed changes would be brought for Parliamentary consideration and would require primary legislation. The Office of National Statistics published figures on life expectancy at birth and at age 65 by local areas for the UK last November, as part of their publication on health state life expectancies. The publication and accompanying data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/bulletins/healthstatelifeexpectanciesuk/2013to2015

Universal Credit

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the time taken between opening a new claim for universal credit and receiving the first payment on people's (a) financial security, (b) housing security and (c) ability to access work opportunities.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to review the waiting time between opening a new claim for universal credit and the receipt of an initial payment.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce an interim payment for when a person opens a claim for universal credit.

Damian Hinds: The Universal Credit assessment period and payment structure is a fundamental part of the design; it helps reduce welfare dependency by mirroring the world of work, where 75% of people are paid monthly. The Department has a number of safeguards in place to help claimants transition to Universal Credit. Universal Credit Advances are available, which give the claimant up to 50% of their indicative monthly award, including housing costs, to support them until they receive their first monthly payment. We believe that this satisfies the same need as an interim payment. We also work closely with landlords, Local Authorities and community organisations to ensure that claimants are supported in understanding their new responsibilities for housing costs, and verifying those costs quickly, which in turn enables the Department to make payments on time, and claimants to stay up to date with the payments to their landlord. In addition, Work Coaches can use the Flexible Support Fund to help claimants access work opportunities soon after they have made their claim.

Universal Credit: Part-time Employment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of conditionality within universal credit in cases where part-time employees use holiday entitlement from work.

Damian Hinds: For the first time, Universal Credit (UC) allows us to support people who are in work and on low incomes to progress. We are currently running a large scale Randomised Control Trial (RCT) to test whether conditionality can be used effectively to support people to progress. This will contribute to the evidence base about what works, which will inform the design of our future in-work service. The Department has made no assessment of the effect of conditionality within Universal Credit where part-time employees use holiday entitlement from work.

Universal Credit: Disability

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that severely disabled people unable to work will not be financially disadvantaged by the introduction of universal credit.

Damian Hinds: DWP understands that claimants with disabilities or health conditions may face extra challenges in their lives which cost money. Universal Credit is simpler and fairer than the legacy system and is designed to target resources at those that need them most. Universal Credit makes the system easy to understand and focuses resources on those most in need. We have raised the level of support to those who are severely disabled or with the most serious health conditions. This gives substantially more support than the current support component in Employment and Support Allowance. No-one who is already receiving disability benefits whose circumstances remain the same will lose out in cash terms as a direct result of the move to Universal Credit.There will be transitional protection for those claimants with existing premiums whose Universal Credit would be less than under the old system where their circumstances remain the same.

Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with epilepsy who were previously in receipt of disability living allowance and have undergone a review to assess their eligibility for personal independence payment (PIP) have appealed the decision on their claim for PIP at tribunal to date.

Penny Mordaunt: The number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals heard for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) re-assessment claims for people with a primary disabling condition of epilepsy to 31st December 2016 is 1,700.

Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with epilepsy who were previously in receipt of disability living allowance and have undergone a review to assess their eligibility for personal independence payment have applied for mandatory reconsideration of the decision on their claim to date.

Penny Mordaunt: The number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mandatory Reconsiderations raised for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) re-assessment claims for people with a primary disabling condition of epilepsy to 31st January 2017 is 7,100.

Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral Answer by the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on 27 March 2017, Official Report, columns 22-23, how many people with epilepsy who have migrated from disability living allowance to personal independence payment have had their award (a) increased, (b) reduced and (c) held at the same rate to date.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with epilepsy who were previously in receipt of disability living allowance have undergone a review to assess their eligibility for personal independence payment to date.

Penny Mordaunt: The number of DLA claimants with a primary disabling condition recorded as epilepsy who were previously in receipt of Disability Living Allowance and have undergone a Personal Independence Payment Reassessment between 1st October 2013 and 31st October 2016 is 15,000. The outcomes of these reassessments are shown in the table below. Re-assessment OutcomeEpilepsyAward Increased4,300Award Unchanged1,100Award Decreased2,300Disallowed post referral to the AP6,600Disallowed pre referral to the AP700Withdrawn100Total15,000

Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral Answer by the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on 27 March 2017, Official Report, columns 22-23, what experience and qualifications the healthcare professionals providing clinical support in assessment centres have in relation to epilepsy.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral Answer by the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on 27 March 2017, Official Report, columns 22-23, what training those independent assessors receive on epilepsy.

Penny Mordaunt: All Health Professionals undertaking assessments on behalf of the Department must be registered practitioners who have also met requirements around training, experience and competence. They must be an occupational therapist, level 1 nurse, physiotherapist, paramedic or doctor. They must also be fully registered and have at least two years’ post full-registration experience. A senior Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clinician will in all cases be a Health Professional who is experienced in PIP and has a proven excellent track record in quality and other performance metrics and has been successful at interview for a clinical management position.All Health Professionals complete training on neurological conditions including epilepsy during their initial training. They also practise several clinical scenarios involving epilepsy as part of that initial training course. In addition to the introductory training and mentoring support, they also have access and can refer to clinical reports on epilepsy which can be reviewed at any point before during or after an assessment has taken place.

Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral Answer by the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on 27 March 2017, Official Report, columns 22-23, what training those decision-makers receive on epilepsy.

Penny Mordaunt: All Health Professionals complete training on neurological conditions including epilepsy during their initial training. They also practise several clinical scenarios involving epilepsy as part of that initial training course. In addition to the introductory training and mentoring support, they also have access and can refer to clinical reports on epilepsy which can be reviewed at any point before during or after an assessment has taken place. Health Professionals also have ongoing access to online tools and wider clinical support to continue their professional development in undertaking functional assessments.

Autism: Employment

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the National Autistic Society's report, The autism employment gap: too much information in the workplace, published in October 2016, if he will make it his policy to increase the number of people with autism in employment.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government is committed to increasing the number of people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, including autism, in employment and there are a range of programmes and initiatives to support them. By March 2017, 1,000 Job Centre Plus staff have been trained to give claimants who have autism the best possible support with their claims. New measures to help people with autism were launched on 27 March, to mark World Autism Awareness Week. This includes a Disability Confident autism toolkit, which provides comprehensive information on autism and hidden impairments, as well as guidance on employment and local authority services. This Toolkit has been promoted to all government departments.In addition, the Department has helped to develop a Disability Passport - About Me - to support people with autism who are seeking jobs and those helping them. Disabled people can share it with their work coach or adviser, to help improve communication and put any reasonable adjustments in place at the earliest opportunity.Finally, Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper’ sets out the Government’s proposals for improving work and health outcomes for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. We are now considering consultation responses and the next steps for longer term reform.

State Retirement Pensions: Self-employed

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the Government's decision to abolish Class 2 national insurance contributions on the ability of self-employed people to access a full state pension.

Richard Harrington: Following the abolition of Class 2 National Insurance contributions from 2018/19 the self-employed will continue to have access to the new State Pension. Self-employed people with annual profits above a new Small Profits Limit will gain access to the new State Pension based on Class 4 National Insurance contributions. The Small Profits Limit will be set at the same level as the annualised Lower Earnings Limit for employees which is £5,876 in 2017/18. Those with profits below the Small Profits Limit who don’t already have a full National Insurance contribution record will be able to access the new State Pension through earnings subject to payment of Class 1 Primary (employee) contributions; National Insurance credits; or payment of Class 3 voluntary contributions.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Social Services: South Yorkshire

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 5.5 of Spring Budget 2017, what estimate his Department has made of how much of the £2 billion of social care funding will be allocated to (a) Barnsley and (b) South Yorkshire.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department published the allocations for the distribution of the additional funding for adult social care announced at the Spring Budget 2017 online on 9 March, together with an Explanatory Note concerning distribution.This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-allocations-of-the-additional-funding-for-adult-social-care.

Forests and Trees: Conservation

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to update paragraph 118 of the National Planning Policy Framework to improve protection for woods and trees.

Gavin Barwell: Paragraph 118 of the National Planning Policy Framework provides strong protection for irreplaceable habitats such as ancient woodland and veteran trees.We are consulting on placing our policy on ancient woodland and veteran trees alongside other national policies, for example Green Belt, which the government regards as providing a strong reason to restrict development when preparing plans, or which indicate that development should be restricted when making decisions on planning applications.The consultation closes on 2 May, and is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fixing-our-broken-housing-market-consultation.

Cabinet Office

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants of his Department oversee contracts which have been awarded to external providers.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants in 10 Downing Street oversee contracts which have been awarded to external providers.

Chris Skidmore: The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and is included in the replyInformation on the total number of civil servants overseeing contracts awarded to external providers is not centrally held.

Cabinet Office: Official Hospitality

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on (a) hotels, (b) hospitality, (c) food and drink and (d) transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much 10 Downing Street has spent on (a) hotels, (b) hospitality, (c) food and drink and (d) transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Chris Skidmore: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and is included in this reply.The information requested is not held centrally and therefore is only available at disproportionate cost.Spend on Travel, Subsistence and Hospitality can be found in the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts. The annual report and accounts for financial year 2010-11 to 2015-16 are accessible from the Gov.uk website and the link is below:www.gov.uk/government/publications

Government Departments: Staff

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of civil servants in each Government department are (a) under 30 and (b) over 50 years of age.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



Letter from UKSA
(PDF Document, 62.98 KB)




PQ69139 table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.7 KB)

Public Sector: Procurement

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to support UK digital technology companies to access public sector procurement contracts.

Chris Skidmore: The Government Transformation Strategy and the UK Digital Strategy set out how this Government will lead a step-change in procurement, making it easier than ever for digital technology companies of all sizes to access public sector procurement contacts through the Digital Marketplace.As part of this, we will be heavily promoting the use of the Digital Marketplace by local and wider public sector bodies to lower barriers for all digital and technology suppliers. The Government’s aim is that the public sector should spend at least £750 million a year with SMEs by 2020.

Crime: Statistics

Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans there are to continue the statistical series Crime Statistics, Focus on Public Perceptions of Crime and the Police, and the Personal Well-being of Victims; and when he plans to publish the next such report.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



Letter from UKSA
(PDF Document, 157.58 KB)

Government Departments: Digital Technology

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2017 to Question 68394, if he will place in the Library a copy of the auditing schedule pro-forma issued to Departments to provide guidance on day-to-day digital auditing.

Chris Skidmore: An auditing schedule pro-forma is not issued to departments but detailed guidance on the security of digital infrastructure, audit and penetration testing is freely available to all Government organisations on the National Cyber Security Centre website, available at www.ncsc.gov.uk

Offences against Children

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many sex offences were committed against children in each of the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



Letter from UKSA
(PDF Document, 105.87 KB)

Department of Health

Pharmacy: Finance

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding was allocated by the Government to pharmacies in each year from 1997-98 to 2016-17.

David Mowat: The current community pharmacy contractual framework and system of payments dates from 2005/06, with remuneration under those arrangements set out in the table below:Financial yearRemuneration budget (£ billion)2005/061.82006/071.92007/081.92008/092.22009/102.52010/112.52011/122.52012/132.52013/142.82014/152.82015/162.82016/172.7 The budget figures in the table only cover essential and advanced services, as commissioned centrally under the community pharmacy contractual framework. Community pharmacies are also commissioned locally to provide services, originally by primary care trusts and more recently by NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and local authorities. Information on the level of funding received by community pharmacies for those locally commissioned services is not held centrally.

Royal Liverpool Hospital

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what date is planned for the official opening of the new Royal Hospital Liverpool; whether that date is the originally planned date; and whether any structural problems have been identified within the building.

Mr Philip Dunne: The new Royal Hospital in Liverpool was expected to admit its first patients in the summer of 2017. The projected handover from the contractor to the Trust, following completion of the construction works, was scheduled to be in March 2017. It is then standard to allow a further three months for the Trust to carry out clinical commissioning and for relocation of services before the Hospital is ready to admit patients for treatment. Unfortunately the construction work has been subject to significant delay. The reasons for delays to the construction timetable have been the discovery of asbestos; issues with using cranes in high winds; a delay in completing a new electrical connection and more recently, the discovery of cracks in some of the concrete beams, for which all remedial work has now been carried out. Clearly, this delay in delivering a new flagship hospital for the people of Liverpool is disappointing. However, we must emphasise that the costs associated with the problems to the new building have to be met by the building contractor and do not fall on the National Health Service. The Trust does not make any payment until the new hospital is finished and is available for use. Currently the Trust is expecting the contractor to hand over the building at the end of February 2018. The move is then expected to be completed 14 weeks after the handover date.

Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group: Pay

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to publish the findings of the review commissioned by the Prime Minister from NHS England on non-executive salaries in Liverpool.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department has asked NHS England to look into the remuneration of non-executive directors at Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group and to write to the hon. Member once their enquiries are completed.

Outpatients: Attendance

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many outpatient (a) ophthalmology, (b) medical ophthalmology, (c) optometry and (d) orthoptic follow-up appointments for adults over 19-years of age were (i) cancelled or (ii) not attended by the patient in 2015-16.

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many outpatient (a) ophthalmology, (b) medical ophthalmology, (c) optometry and (d) orthoptic first appointments for adults over 19-years of age were (i) cancelled or (ii) not attended by the patient in 2015-16.

David Mowat: The information requested is shown in the following tables. Counts of first outpatient appointments for treatment specialties ophthalmology, medical ophthalmology, optometry, and orthoptics, that were cancelled by the patient by the hospital or where the patient did not attend for patients aged 19 years and over in England for 2015-16.  First Outpatient Appointment19 years and overTreatment SpecialtyTotal AppointmentsPatient CancellationsHospital CancellationsDid Not AttendOphthalmology2,077,481162,054134,566131,298Medical Ophthalmology28,4241,9504713,231Optometry14,9051,731617730Orthoptics48,4965,2802,6313,703   Counts of follow-up outpatient appointments for treatment specialties ophthalmology, medical ophthalmology, optometry, and orthoptics that were cancelled by the patient by the hospital or where the patient did not attend for patients aged 19 years and over in England for 2015-16.  Follow-up Outpatient Appointment19 years and overTreatment SpecialtyTotal AppointmentsPatient CancellationsHospital CancellationsDid Not AttendOphthalmology6,535,285465,080458,758407,324Medical Ophthalmology93,5309,3243,6256,743Optometry30,8214,1022,9502,664Orthoptics180,12420,56613,71010,823  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital Notes: Treatment specialty codesThe following codes were used to identify treatment specialties: 130 - Ophthalmology460 - Medical ophthalmology655 - Orthoptics662 - Optometry

Community Health Services: Liverpool

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which NHS rules and guidance allowed for the tendering of the Liverpool community health services contract previously run by Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust; what the legal framework is for the operation of that procurement process; and what the stages are of that procurement process.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, under which NHS rules the process which awarded Bridgewater NHS Trust the contract to deliver Liverpool Community services was run; and what the legal framework was underpinning that decision-making process.

Mr Philip Dunne: The legal framework is contained in directions from the Secretary of State to the NHS Trust Development Authority. The procurement process did not trigger the Public Contract Regulations and it was instead structured as a provider to provider transaction.

Department of Health: Legal Costs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve administrative efficiency and (b) reduce expenditure on legal costs.

David Mowat: The Spending Review settlement for Administration costs set out a trajectory for the Department and its arm's length bodies (excluding clinical commissioning groups) to deliver a 30% real terms (25% cash terms) saving by 2019-20. In order to meet this challenge the Department launched a change programme in February 2016 to both reduce in size and find more efficient ways of working while continuing to deliver on our priorities. As well as undertaking a restructuring exercise to reduce the number of permanent staff the change programme also includes projects to improve internal business processes, improvements in the use of technology to enable staff to work flexibly and the co-location of all London based staff in a single building. The Department’s arm’s length bodies have been allocated savings targets for administration costs across the Spending Review period and are working within their organisations to deliver these efficiencies. The Department calls on the Government Legal Department for almost all of its requirements for legal services. It currently has a budget of around £10 million which is set at the beginning of each financial year based on business planning for the work it expects to undertake in the year ahead. This process entails careful consideration as to the most effective use of this of this resource, bearing in mind the need to make efficiencies in line with the spending review targets set by HM Treasury.

Ibuprofen: Heart Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the potential effect of the use of ibuprofen on the heart.

Nicola Blackwood: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continuously monitors the safety of all medicines on the market in the United Kingdom and seeks independent expert advice from the Commission on Human Medicines on important new safety issues. Ibuprofen belongs to the class of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Ibuprofen is a widely used and effective medicine for relief of mild to moderate pain including rheumatic and muscular pain and is available on prescription from a doctor and, at low doses, over the counter. It has been known for many years that NSAIDs are associated with a small increased risk of heart attacks or strokes, particularly when used at a high dose and for a long time. A Europe wide review which completed in 2015 concluded that high dose ibuprofen is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke similar to some other NSAIDs, however there was no increased risk of these events seen with ibuprofen at the doses available over the counter. The MHRA has widely communicated the information and advice to healthcare professionals on the risk of heart attack and stroke with NSAIDs in letters and bulletins, and other publications through liaison with the British National Formulary. In addition, product information (including patient information leaflets) supports informed decision-making in relation to the choice of painkiller.

Mental Health Services: Southwark

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many mental health nurses have been employed by the local NHS trust in Southwark in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: Three National Health Service trusts in Southwark employ mental health nursing staff. The information for each trust and the total is shown in the following table. NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: Qualified mental health nursing staff in NHS trusts in Southwark, as at 31 December each year, full-time equivalent 20122013201420152016NHS trusts in Southwark1,3521,3021,2221,2421,244of which:Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust38597King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust11111South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust1,3481,2931,2161,2321,236Source: NHS Digital Notes: South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is a mental health trust so is the most relevant. The data above for qualified mental health nursing staff includes the following staff groups: - Community Psychiatry;- Other Psychiatry;- Community Learning disability; and- Other Learning Disabilities.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund to be open to research applications for the repurposing of antibiotics.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government has committed £50 million towards setting up a Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Innovation Fund to increase global investment in AMR. The fund aims to leverage substantial new international investment in AMR research and development for new and repurposed antimicrobials and alternative medicines, rapid diagnostic tests, vaccines and other important technologies, interventions and therapies.Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England and United Kingdom Government adviser, has appointed an expert advisory board to make recommendations on the scope and focus of the investment.These discussions are ongoing.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to raise the NHS Improvement tariff for photodynamic therapy to cover the full cost of that procedure; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Improvement and NHS England have no plans to change the national prices for 2017/18 and 2018/19 for photodynamic therapy. However, providers and commissioners can agree to vary national prices where this would be in the best interest of patients. These ‘local variations’ can be agreed in accordance with National Tariff rules on locally-determined prices.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the first pilots of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund on reimbursement models to incentivise the development of new classes of antibiotics to begin.

Nicola Blackwood: The Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Innovation Fund is a £50 million investment over five years to tackle AMR, with the aim of attracting significant additional investment internationally to stimulate global research. It is not looking at reimbursement models to incentivise the development of new classes of antibiotics or planning to fund pilots at this stage.Domestically, the Department is working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to develop a new reimbursement model for antimicrobials, and has secured broad agreement to principles that would permit a model to ‘de-link’ company revenues from sales. The aim of this work is to support good antimicrobial stewardship. Discussions with a number of leading pharmaceutical companies have highlighted challenges in evaluating antimicrobial medicines, and the Department is working closely with industry partners to address these.

NHS Blood and Transplant and Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much public funding has been provided to (a) NHS Blood and Transplant and (b) Anthony Nolan in each of the two previous financial years.

Nicola Blackwood: Information on the public funding NHS Blood and Transplant received in 2014-15 and 2015-16 can be found within its 2015-16 Annual Report and Accounts.The Department has provided funding of £2,000,000 in 2014-15 and £1,325,057 in 2015-16 to the charity Anthony Nolan to support improving the availability of stem cells for patients requiring a transplant from an unrelated donor.

NHS Improvement

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he made of the likely effects of breaking up the former Liverpool Community contract into 13 parts; what discussions he has had with Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group on the potential for that decision to align with a previously agreed joint venture between the Group and Liverpool City Council and Bridgwater; what assessment he has made of the risk of poor governance in decision making; and whether NHS Improvement is sufficiently resourced to take poor decision-making.

Mr Philip Dunne: No discussions have taken place with Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group on this matter. NHS Improvement is resourced to undertake a number of functions, which include working with National Health Service providers to ensure that due diligence processes are completed in a timely and effective manner. Quality Impact Assessments and a Financial Assessment were undertaken as part of the pre-assessment process.

NHS Improvement

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how long NHS Improvement should allow for the due diligence regime once a contract is provided to a new supplier; whether due diligence is completed to a specific deadline; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to NHS Improvement to undertake appropriate due diligence on NHS contracts.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS Improvement's resourcing to enable it to fulfil its monitor function; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of NHS Improvement's due diligence processes in regard to the former Liverpool Community Heath contract being awarded to Bridgewater; what guidance his Department issues on the timing of due diligence; and whether NHS Improvement was compliant with such guidance in that case.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of NHS Improvement undertaking the due diligence process on new providers one month prior to the start of a new NHS contract; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Improvement is resourced to undertake a number of functions, which include working with National Health Service providers to ensure that due diligence processes are completed in a timely and effective manner. In the case of the Liverpool Community Health contract, the publication of the Care Quality Commission report into Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust led to a pause in the transaction.

Stem Cells: Donors

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 8 March 2016 to Question 28969, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) people who were registered as stem cell donors with the Anthony Nolan and NHS Stem Cell Registry and (b) such people who were from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds in 2015-16 to date.

Nicola Blackwood: The total number of registered donors on the Anthony Nolan and NHS Stem Cell Registry and the numbers of registered donors from black and minority ethnic backgrounds are reported in the 2016 Anthony Nolan annual report.

Health Services: Weather

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 17 November 2015 to Question 902116, how much additional financial support in winter resilience funds the NHS received in each year from 2011-12 to 2016-17; and on what dates in those years that additional support was allocated.

Mr Philip Dunne: The following table shows additional funding given to the National Health Service for winter and seasonal resilience between 2011-12 and 2014-15: YearAdditional FundingDate2011-12£300 million (winter resilience)January 20122012-13£330 million (winter resilience)September 20122013-14£400 million (winter resilience)November 20132014-15£700 million (winter resilience)Start of the financial year2015-16£400 million (seasonal resilience)Start of the financial year2016-17£400 million (seasonal resilience)Start of the financial year

NHS: Repairs and Maintenance

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of backlog maintenance for each level of assessed risk was in the NHS (a) in total and (b) for each NHS organisation in each of the last three years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The backlog maintenance cost reported by the National Health Service in total for the last three years is: 2013-14 £ million2014-15 £ million2015-16 £ millionHigh risk357458776Significant risk1,0171,0621,568Moderate risk1,4271,5511,516Low risk1,2421,2671,115Total4,0434,3384,975 The data for each NHS organisation is attached. The Department collects data on backlog maintenance annually from NHS trusts through the Estates Returns Information Collection. The data collected has not been amended centrally and its accuracy always remains the responsibility of the NHS organisations concerned.



PQ69510 attached table 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 127.5 KB)

Baby Care Units

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report by Bliss, entitled Neonatal care and admissions variation in the provisions for the parents of babies receiving neonatal care; and if he will take steps to reduce those variations.

Mr Philip Dunne: This Government is committed to improving maternity and neonatal care. In November 2015 my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a national ambition to halve the number of neonatal deaths, stillbirths, maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 2030. The Department is working closely with NHS England to make progress on the ambition and implement the NHS England led Maternity Transformation Programme, a programme set up to deliver the National Maternity Review’s recommendations, outlined in the report Better Births. The Better Births publication set out the vision for maternity services across England. It also outlined that a dedicated review of neonatal services should be taken forward in light of the overall maternity review findings. Within that context, and linked to NHS England’s Maternity Transformation Programme, the Neonatal Critical Care Clinical Reference Group, chaired by Professor Neil Marlow, is carrying out a review of neonatal services. That review is ongoing and will report in September 2017 but it has acknowledged that adequate support and facilities for parents are integral to the provision of centred care. The review has completed its data gathering stage and will be working with Bliss and other stakeholders to develop recommendations for service improvement, including the support and facilities for parents.

Nurses: Training

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the 23 per cent decline in UCAS applications for nursing degrees in 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: Potential students have a range of reasons for making the choices they do regarding courses to apply for. At this stage of the application cycle, based on the data the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service published on 2 February 2017, Health Education England is confident that the National Health Service will be able to fill the number of 2017/18 pre-registration nursing degree training places in England. Entry to nursing, midwifery and allied health profession remains extremely competitive with a ratio from applications this January of nearly two applicants per place, this shows that there is a strong market for students who want to study high-quality nursing degree. The Government is committed to monitoring the reforms throughout the application process and in doing so is working with Health Education England, Universities UK and the Council of Deans of Health to ensure that students are aware of the benefits of studying to become a nurse.